How Nutrition Affects our Energy

Today we will look at nutrition and what it has to do with our energy.  The answer is simple...Food is our energy.  All the energy that our body produces for us to utilize everyday is created by our food in some way or another.  There are foods that steal our energy, and foods that increase our energy.  The key to finding unlimited supplies of energy are to eat the "power" foods that give us the best source.  A good diet for making sure you have enough energy includes:  Fish (especially oily fish such as sardines and herring), Chicken, Farm Eggs at least three times a week, Salads and Leafy Greens, Granola and Nuts, Soybeans, Tofu, Fresh Fruit and Lots of Legumes.  Also, vegetable oils such as olive or grapeseed should be used when cooking, along with lots of filtered water.  Remember, the slower the food is released into the blood stream, the better it is for you.

High sugar, high fat foods cause a very quick surge of sugar to be released into the blood stream, and therefore, our body has to produce a large quantity of insulin to counter its affect.  This is what causes the extreme crash of  a high fat lunch or a quick sugary snack.  Remember, choose your foods wisely, and eat small meals and snacks often so that you can have a continual supply of healthy energy for your body to utilize throughout the day.  Also, always eat breakfast, as your body has been fasting for many hours and your blood sugar is low. 


Keep in mind that excess alcohol, caffeine, or carbonated drinks affects the nervous system, heart and circulation, and they give us an energy boost that is not real, and in the end they leave us feeling drowsy, irritable and unfocused.  Try to avoid these drinks whenever possible, and shoot for drinking water and snacking on a "power" food instead.  You'll feel the difference in no time, and your body will thank you.

In my next blog, I will be covering how to take time to relax, even in the midst of a busy day, which can make huge impacts on our energy levels and our productivity, but until then, keep working on that healthy, happy life you deserve.



Be sure to check out my website at www.coachellen.idlife.com